Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin proclaimed March 7, 2012 as “Spread the Word to End the ‘r’ Word Day” in Oklahoma. This day brings awareness that using the words “retard” or “retarded” to mean something stupid or bad is hurtful to people who have disabilities and the people who love them.

Not only does it perpetuate prejudice and discrimination towards people with disabilities, but simply because when its used in an ugly way this word is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur or hate speech.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 20% of all Oklahomans have some form of disability. People with disabilities constitute our nation’s largest minority group. This group is also the most inclusive and diverse, it includes; all ages, genders, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations and socioeconomic levels.

Many schools and students in Oklahoma, and around the nation, will be participating in efforts to bring awareness on this day. 

Download the 2012 Proclamation (pdf).  Follow these link for more resources;

http://therword.org/donations-accepted/

http://www.r-word.org/r-word-resources.aspx

Kansas letter writing campaign leads to removal of ‘R-Word’
By Chad Frey, Newton Kansan
http://www.thekansan.com/news/x355687426/Letter-writing-leads-to-removal-of-R-Word

NEWTON — A national campaign coming in March encourages the removal of “the r-word” from the lexicon.
That word is “retard” or “retarded.”

March 7 is the national campaign day, and this year the campaign is asking “How will you help end the R-word?”
For one local group, their efforts to get rid of the word started a year ago. A group with the Marion-Harvey County CDDO started writing letters, seeking a change to state statutes.

“The word is still in Kansas statutes,” said Elizabeth Schmidt. “The statues say to get assistance, there has to be a diagnosis of mental retardation.”

Letters were sent to the Governor, Rep. Marc Rhoades, R-Newton, and Rep. Don Schroeder, R-Inman.
Rhoades and Schroeder have stepped forward, first checking to see how they would get the word removed the statutes —and then co-sponsoring a bill to make it happen.

“I think it goes to the point that folks with this disability felt that the old term is somewhat demeaning and wanted it changed,” Rhoades said.

There are about 80 places in the Kansas statutes the bill will make the language change.

“r” Word Promotes Hate and Discrimination in Our Generation
by Sean Lee, A Korean Brookfield Central senior.
Posted on February 23, 2012
http://brookfield-wi.patch.com/blog_posts/r-word-promotes-hate-and-discrimination-in-our-generation

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. Ridiculous.

There is a reason why rhetoric and the careful use of words has been a skill coveted through the centuries. Words can persuade; they can honor; they can anger; most of all, they can hurt. This is why it concerns me that the word “retard” has become part of the high school vernacular.

I take multiple AP classes. I recognize that I am “smarter” (which is completely different from actually being smarter) than some other students. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t say things like, “Wow, you’re so dumb, you should be in pre-Calculus,” or things like, “Are you serious? Go back to Intro to College Writing.”

I won’t give you one, I’ll give you plenty of reasons why I shouldn’t (and why I don’t) say things like that.

1.     It is exclusive. It implies I’m better than you. It implies that I am part of an elite group that is above the rest. When I say that, I am being elitist. When I hear people use the word “retard,” they sound equally elitist. Joseph Stephens, a Special Olympics athlete decries, “What’s wrong with the word ‘retard?’… It means the rest of you are excluding us from your group… We are someone that is not your kind… I want you to know it hurts to be left out here, alone.”

2.     It offends not the person I insult, but rather the people my insult references. If you were sitting on the bus and you heard someone say, “You’re only in Algebra II?” How would you feel? What’s to say that a mentally impaired student on a bus wouldn’t feel the same way when someone says, “This is so retarded”? Stephens says, “It hurts and scares me when I am the only person with intellectual disabilities on the bus and young people start making ‘retard’ jokes or references… please put yourself on that bus and fill the bus with people who are different from you. Imagine they start making jokes using a term that describes you.”

Let’s do just that. Imagine you’re sitting in a bus full of kids who have IQs of 200. What if they started making fun of you for being “dumb?” Is it your fault you aren’t as “smart” as them? Did you choose to not be a genius? In the same way, mentally disabled people never chose to be mentally disabled. So why should it be any different?

3.     It equates being in so-called “regular” classes with being dumb or stupid, when in truth, such a stereotype is absolutely ridiculous. The same goes for calling people retarded. It implies intellectually impaired people are simply stupid and that no other part of them matters. Proof? Some mentally impaired people are extremely kind. Then why is it that the word “retard” has never once been used to describe those who are extremely kind? Some mentally impaired people are hard working. Then why is it that the word “retard” has never once been used to describe those who are hard working? For this reason, I can safely say that the r-word dehumanizes. It makes them not human. They become one-dimensional caricatures. “Don’t worry about him. He’s just a retard.”

The r-word dehumanizes. It dehumanizes. It dehumanizes. I’m not sure I can say that enough. Mankind has a track record of progression away from dehumanization throughout history. Once, African-Americans were considered dumber than white Americans. Thus, they were enslaved. But eventually we realized the ludicrous nature of slavery and eliminated such atrocities. Not too long ago, whites and minorities were segregated. Racial slurs were commonplace and equality was “unachievable.” But eventually a great man came forward and told us of his dream. Does it mean nothing that “all men are created equal?” Does the Fourteenth Amendment only apply to certain people?

It is finally time for us to make the leap we have made time after time in the past. It is time for us to come together and become better than we were before. It is time for us to grow up.

Spread the Word To End The Word Day is March 7, 2012.  It was created several years ago by the Special Olympics.  We encourage you to use the resources available to promote this event in your  communities, workplaces and schools : http://www.r-word.org/r-word-resources.aspx.

Over the last few years you have made a tremendous difference by taking the small step of standing up in your communities, workplaces and schools and simply letting your friends, family, co-workers and classmates know that you find the ‘r’ word offensive and hurtful. This is what our grassroots campaign has always been about and we are encouraged to see how much difference you have made over the years.

Our challenge to you on this day is to go a step further by seeking out those sites on the Web and social media hosts such as Facebook that still think it’s okay to use the ‘r’ word and let them hear your voice.

On this day let the online community know that your voice counts!  (Right Click on the Image and USE IT ON YOUR SITE AND POSTS!)

Norwich Free Academy devoted its entire morning session Friday to vocabulary lessons that struck chords with people of all ages in “Spread the Word, Just Don’t Say it,” about words students, teachers, administrators and visitors hope never to hear again on campus.
http://www.theday.com/article/20120218/NWS01/302189942/-1/NWS

YouTube video – Norwich Free Academy R-Word Campaign

“Use of the N-word has been exposed as terribly demeaning, antisocial, cruel and ignorant behavior,” he said. “We need to get the R-word there.”

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/story/2012-01-30/National-effort-aims-to-curb-use-of-R-word/52883572/1

How about setting an example for society and YOUR CHILDREN and just stop using them. The “R” Word, racial slurs, all of them. There is never a time or place for them. Ever. You aren’t being cute or funny when you use them. It just makes you look like an uneducated, insensitive JERK. 

http://themavenofsocialmedia.com/2012/01/the-r-word/

A recent comment we recieved;
“Someone pinned one of my disabilities advocacy pins on Pinterest and changed the comment underneath to be derogatory.  After commenting back and forth, he turned around. He said that he did a  Goggle search on “retard” and was disgusted by what he saw.  I did the same thing on YouTube, Google and Razzle and became angry, sad, digusted and sickened by my results.  This has become such a part of our culture and needs to stop.”

What do you see when you do a search for “retard” on the Internet?  Does it make you angry, sad, disgusted, sickened?

What are you going to do about it?